A few years ago, Arizona State flipping a commit from Georgia would have been unheard of. But now its possible. The Sun Devils flipped the #1 JUCO recruit Jermaine Mitchell. He was previously committed to Georgia.
The New Reality of College Football Recruiting
What we do know is significant enough on its own. Arizona State pulling the top junior college offensive lineman away from Georgia represents everything that’s changed in college football.
The transfer portal. NIL money. Geographic recruiting boundaries getting blown to pieces.
Three years ago, Georgia was hoarding five-star recruits like they were collecting Pokemon cards. Now? A Pac-12 program operating out of the desert is convincing elite talent to pass on Athens.
Kenny Dillingham’s Recruiting Revolution
This flip has Kenny Dillingham’s fingerprints all over it. The second-year head coach has been preaching a simple message: Arizona State is going to be different.
Landing the nation’s top JUCO offensive lineman proves he wasn’t just talking. Mitchell represents the type of immediate-impact player that can accelerate a program rebuild.
JUCO transfers don’t have time to waste on development programs. They need results now, which suggests Mitchell sees something brewing in Tempe that Georgia couldn’t offer.
Georgia’s Recruiting Slip Shows
For Georgia, losing Mitchell stings beyond the obvious talent evaluation. This represents a crack in their recruiting armor that other programs will notice.
The Bulldogs built their recent success on out-recruiting everyone for elite prospects. When Arizona State starts winning those battles, it signals a shift in the college football ecosystem.
Kirby Smart’s program isn’t suddenly falling apart, but they can’t afford to lose recruiting wars to programs they previously dominated.
